I went 13-0 in my picks for Southern Arizona last week and here are my 26 picks for this Friday night. Several of the games are toss-ups at this point. We should get a clear picture on where teams stand after week three.

This week’s 4A Conference game of the week will be No. 10 Tempe (1-0) at No. 4 Catalina Foothills (0-0).

The Buffaloes squeaked past Estrella Foothills 36-24 at home last Friday night while the Falcons will start their season against Tempe.  The first official AIA/MaxPreps Rankings will be released on Tuesday, Sept. 27. Until then, I will keep an informal ranking based on the AIA Sollenberger Magazine Preseason Rankings and my personal observations.

Down 14-0 to Estrella Foothills, Tempe came back to take a 16-14 lead at the half thanks to a 65-yard pass from Nathan Clayton to Javier Valenzuela, a few Estrella Foothills turnovers, a field goal and a TD after another turnover.

Tempe scored again after another turnover by Estrella Foothills but the Wolves ran the kickoff back for a TD and then hit on a field goal to take a 24-23 lead on Tempe in the fourth quarter. Tempe running back Donnell Card scored his third TD of the game and then a late TD pass from Clayton gave us the 36-24 final.

Tempe features DE My-King Johnson (6-foot-3, 225-pounds). Texas A&M, Oregon, USC, Arizona, Arizona State and UNLV have offered him a scholarship. Johnson had nine tackles against Estrella Foothills along with a sack. He had 22 sacks last year.

University of Arizona commit Rhett Rodriguez is entering his senior season with Catalina Foothills. All of his top weapons on offense return including WR Bryan Beckon. Five of the top six Falcon defenders also return.

 

SOUTHERN ARIZONA GAMES

 

Favorite team in BOLD.

 

Friday, Aug. 26

Rincon/UHS (0-1) at Dobson (0-0)

Pueblo (1-0) at Sunnyside (0-1)

Tucson (1-0) at Mountain Ridge (0-0)

Cholla (0-0) at Amphitheater (0-0)

Palo Verde (1-0) at Desert View (0-0)

Flowing Wells (0-0) at Buena (0-1)

Marana (0-1) at Cienega (0-0)

Sunnyslope (0-0) at Ironwood Ridge (1-0)

Mountain View (0-0) at Salpointe (1-0)

Canyon del Oro (0-0) at Shadow Mountain (0-0)

Tempe (1-0) at Catalina Foothills (0-0)

Rio Rico (0-0) at Walden Grove (0-0)

Bisbee (0-0) at Douglas (0-0)

Pusch Ridge (0-0) at American Leadership (1-0)

Catalina (0-0) at Globe (0-1)

Safford (1-0) at Sahuarita (0-0)

Santa Rita (0-1) at Benjamin Franklin (0-1)

Tanque Verde (0-1) at San Manuel (0-1)

Benson (0-0) at Thatcher (1-0)

Lordsburg (NM) at Willcox (0-1)

Santa Cruz (0-0) at Paradise Honors (0-0)

Tombstone (0-0) at Antelope Union (0-1)

Empire (0-0) at Coolidge (0-1)

Duncan (0-0) at Patagonia (0-0)

Valley Union (0-1) at San Pasqual (0-0)

Fort Thomas (0-0) at Baboquivari (0-1)